When I Knew
by RainbowSerenity
Summary: It was the moment Yuuhi had fallen in love with Aya. . .


Now read this or you won't understand anything:  
  
I'm a total Aya x Yuuhi fan. C'mon, Yuuhi's soooo much better! Anyway, before I get into a one-thousand page story of why Yuuhi rules, I'll explain this. I've always wondered---when, exactly, did he fall in love with her? And -poof- out popped this fic. It's in Yuuhi's point of view, of course.  
  
This scene comes from the third volume of the manga, so if you haven't read it yet, there are spoilers :P (Oops. . .guess I should've mentioned that before). So read, review, and enjoy.  
  
When I Knew  
  
It seemed like it was going to be a normal day---well, normal for Aya and I anyway, which may seem really weird to someone else. My head still hurt from Suzumi's bashing last night. Okay, she may not really be middle-aged, but she sure as hell acts like it sometimes.  
  
I was following Aya around like a good younger brother-slash-bodyguard, trying not to look that bored. I think she was looking for Urakawa, just to make sure she was okay. I thought it was stupid she really seemed to think she was responsible for all of these fires that had been happening---I mean, why would Ceres want to kill a school nurse? It was hard trying to convince Aya she had nothing to do with it.  
  
Still, though, there was something else to it. I suddenly remembered what happened a few nights ago, while I was cooking dinner and Aya was attempting to help. Of course she couldn't really help since I was the main cook, and, well, she's just a thick-headed woman.  
  
Why was I so interested in what she was talking to Tooya about? It was none of my business. If she wanted to get in even more trouble with the Mikage then she was already in by getting involved with Tooya, well, that was her problem.  
  
But I couldn't get over the feeling that I needed to know what went on between them and I had the weirdest desire to stop it. Was it just because Tooya was the Mikage's lap dog?  
  
Stoopid Aya, making me confused like that. Women really were thick-headed.  
  
I came back to life when Aya stopped by class 1-3. "Urakawa?" Aya asked around. "Where is she?" I sighed and started walking away slowly, waiting for her.  
  
"I have to put the stuff in the physics room away and I'm getting her to do it for me," some stupid prick answered. "Ha, ha, ha, she never complains, which makes it easy for me!"  
  
I turned around just in time to see Aya give the guy a swift kick in the leg.  
  
"OW!" he cried. "What was that for?"  
  
I gave him a 'I-know-what-you're-going-through-but-hey-I-have-to-live-with- her-how-do-you-think-I-feel' kind of look while Aya stormed angrily past me, muttering something about 'a bigger idiot than all the Mikage put together'.  
  
"Hey Aya!" I called, trying to catch up with her. "Is there something wrong with Urakawa?" Not that I cared much.  
  
She didn't answer, but stopped when Dr. Hayama walked past her. I rolled my eyes, and kept walking. The last thing I needed was to clean another classroom. Hey, and that wasn't even my fault!  
  
I had no idea what Hayama said to Aya, but I turned around to see she had stopped dead in her tracks, staring at his back with disbelief. Her eyes got wide, and she began to tremble.  
  
"Ceres!" she gasped in shock. "She's trying to. . come out!"  
  
"Aya?!" I cried, ignoring everyone's questioning glances. She looked absolutely terrified, and started crumbling to the floor.  
  
"What the hell?!" I yelled, started to feel the floor shake under me. "What's this earthquake?!" I glanced over at Aya, who was squinching her eyes shut in what seemed like pain.  
  
"Aya?!" I rushed over to her. She grabbed my shirt with one hand and clutched her stomach with the other.  
  
"Stop it!" she cried. "Ceres is. . .!!!"  
  
In the next second, everything that had confused me about Aya suddenly made sense. Why I had this urge to protect her all the time. Why I swore to Tooya I would protect her against everything. Hell, it even explained why I lost my mind and nearly kissed her in her sleep.  
  
I swiftly turned her towards me and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly to my chest and burying my head in her hair. She whimpered like a scared puppy.  
  
"Hang in there!" I tried to comfort her. "I'm here for you!! I'll stop her!!"  
  
She just shook some more and grabbed the back of my shirt. Stupid me chose this moment to admit my confession.  
  
"If I would, I would dedicate my whole life to. . ." I started. Despite everyone's confused screams and cries of concern, I heard someone running around and saw the flash of a doctor's coat. Tooya. Grrr.  
  
Her hair was growing a little bit darker. No. . .I couldn't let Ceres come out! I did just say I would stop it.  
  
I somehow pulled her closer to me. "Aya!"  
  
Slowly, the trembling died down. Everyone was looking around with very confused looks on their faces, but my attention was only on Aya at the moment.  
  
I had let go of her, but she was taking deep breaths, staring at the floor and still clutching my arm.  
  
"Aya?" I asked. "Are you all right?"  
  
She didn't answer, but suddenly widened her eyes, and as suddenly as she had fell to the floor, got up and ran after something.  
  
"Aya?!" I cried again. Yeesh. What did she expect me to do, chase after her? Before I even completed the thought, though, I was already up and running in the direction she had gone.  
  
The whole building was in flames, but I didn't really care. All I could think about was saving Aya. I had to keep her safe. . .but was that me or the headband talking?  
  
I kept running through the smoke, calling out her name, praying should would somehow answer me. I hope she didn't think Ceres caused the fire unintentionally---what good would it do, anyway?  
  
"Aya! Where the hell are you?!" I called, running against the people who were running away from the fire. If I was smart, I would've followed them, but then again, that was hardly the case right now.  
  
Where HAD Aya gone?! Just minute ago she was in my arms. . .and then she slipped through my fingers. At least I knew it wasn't to go off to see Tooya.  
  
I was proved wrong, though, when I found a doorway to the school's pool. I looked through the door, and to my surprise, I saw Tooya. . .and Aya! What the hell were they doing, just sitting there while I was on my ass searching through a burning school for her?!  
  
No. . .they weren't just sitting there. My heart filled with rage as I realized Tooya was pulling away from a kiss.  
  
I was so pissed. How DARE he sit there and. . .well. . .KISS her while I was the one stopping Ceres, running through flames, and protecting her from the Mikage?! Plus, hadn't Tooya HIMSELF said to protect Aya from him, of all people?  
  
They notice me open the door---he was too busy talking to her-but Aya yelped with surprise when I suddenly jumped in front of her, cutting her off from Tooya.  
  
I had never been so angry in my life. "Go away," I said menacingly, gritting my teeth. Couldn't he take a hint?  
  
"Yuuhi, wait!" Aya cried, grabbing onto my shoulder with one hand and trying to reach for Tooya with the other.  
  
I couldn't stand it. "GO AWAY!!" I yelled again.  
  
He surprised me by agreeing with that deep, monotone voice of his. What did Aya see in him, anyway?  
  
I snapped back to attention when, with a flash of his white coat, Tooya ran off. Oh, figures, he kisses her and leaves without a fight. What kind of man is that?  
  
I continued to stare menacingly, and glanced over at Aya, who looked both shocked and upset. Oi. . .I hoped she wasn't mad at me.  
  
But really. . .I didn't care if she was. I was supposed to protect her, from Ceres AND from Tooya, and that's what I was doing, right?  
  
"Yuuhi. . ." She managed to sound angry and soft at the same time.  
  
Before I could reply, a huge blast of fire blew us apart. We somehow managed to stay on our feet, and when the smoke cleared, Urakawa was standing in the doorway with a deathly glare on her face. I knew then she was going to try to hurt Aya.  
  
"Aya! Run!!!" I yelled, attempting to get away myself.  
  
Hayama suddenly grabbed me and pressed something to my head. I began to sweat, realizing it was a gun.  
  
'Oh shit,' I thought.  
  
"You be quiet, Aogiri," he smirked.  
  
"YUU-" Aya started to cry, but another blast of fire came from Uki, and Aya was thrown back into the pool.  
  
"AYA?!" I yelled, As much as I just wanted to go after and save her, I resisted the temptation. After all, one pull of the trigger and I'd be dead, and what use would I be to Aya if I was dead?  
  
Hayama suddenly started ordering around a coughing Urakawa. I was too nervous to pay attention---I just stared at the pool, wondering whey the hell Aya wasn't coming up.  
  
In a huge splash of water, she finally did and I halfway breathed with a sigh of relief, not forgetting a gun was still to my head.  
  
"Urakawa, get a hold of yourself!" Aya cried, and I realized Uki was preparing to attack her.  
  
"Good. . .looks like I can give a good report to the chief," Hayama laughed.  
  
Chief? Report? Were these fires. . .really connected to the Mikage somehow?  
  
'Damn them," I thought, getting more and more pissed, though not as mad, for some reason, as I was when I saw Aya with Tooya. Urakawa started screaming, and with my eyes narrowed, I elbowed him as hard as I could in the stomach, and he finally backed away.  
  
Uki's fire power was aimed straight for Aya, and she just stared in absolute shock, frozen and unable to avoid it.  
  
"NO!" I yelled, running directly in the path of the flames. "AYA!"  
  
Was it for protection? Perhaps. But it was finally starting to make sense to me.  
  
My whole body burned and I felt the worst pain I had ever felt in my entire life---hell, even worse than Suzumi's fan. I fell backwards into the pool, and blacked out, but not before hearing Aya crying out my name.  
  
When I woke up, I was totally expecting heaven---or hell, really. To my surprise, I was out of the pool and laying on the side. I heard the voices of Suzumi and Aya, but I couldn't make out the words. I sat up and became very aware of the pain Urakawa had inflicted on me.  
  
"OW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, and it sounded even louder with the echo the room produced. "My whole body stings!"  
  
It was lucky that was all, though. How did I survive that?  
  
All of sudden, Aya ran towards me and flung her arms around my neck so roughly, I had no choice but to yell out in pain again.  
  
As usual, she ignored it. I was shocked, both from the pain and from Aya suddenly hugging me like this. Tearing up a little, she gave me a gentle squeeze and said, "I thought you died or something. . .you idiot!!"  
  
I softened by eyes, and immediately forgave her for giving me such a painful hug. All at once, I truly did understand why I was feeling the way I did. The protection, why I loathed Tooya to an extreme without a reason beforehand---it even explained why I didn't REALLY mind having to stick close by her all the time. It had been building up inside of my heart ever since I rescued her from the Mikage that fateful day, and I was sure it was going to continue as long as I was threatened with the shock of that headband, and probably even beyond.  
  
I had fallen in love with Aya, without even realizing it.  
  
END. 


End file.
